20 destinations for 2015: Essaouira, Morocco

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Trips to Marrakesh have a tendency to test one’s patience, thanks to the constant haranguing you’ll face from traders and chancers. However, Essaouira retains the sort of laid-back charm that lured the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Cat Stevens in the Sixties. Until now, the only stressful part has been getting there. However, that will change in 2015 with the launch on May 1 of easyJet’s direct flights from Luton, after which visitors will no longer need to endure a two-hour taxi ride from Marrakesh at a cost of around £100 each way.

While it’s possible to enjoy an active break here – the windswept coast attracts scores of kite-surfers, birdwatchers make trips to the nearby Mogador nature reserve, and there are options for golfers – it is really a city for idlers. Stroll through the souks and streets, where woodworkers produce hand-carved objects that are yours for next to nothing. Potter along the ocean-facing ramparts, pausing perhaps for a mug of thick, strong Moroccan coffee or a traditional shave at one of the tiny barber shops.

Let a steed take the strain with a gentle ride along the beach – keeping your eyes peeled for the ruined Bordj El Berod watchtower, which locals swear was the inspiration for Hendrix’s “Castles Made of Sand” (never mind that the song was released two years before he visited).

Watch weather-beaten fishermen on weather-beaten blue boats arriving with the day’s catch – then eat the best of it for just a few pounds at one of the wooden shacks. Politely decline the offers of hash cakes.

There are smarter dining options too, both on the beach and inside the medina, and an ever-increasing number of smart riads (because laid-back can still be luxurious). The musical legacy lives on too with the Gnaoua festival – a youthful, four-day summer celebration of world music at a variety of venues – many outdoor and free of charge. Jimi would approve.